Donor Spotlight: Anne Lufrano

Earlier this year as part of the Homecoming festivities, we celebrated two new honorary alumni (Darnell Smith & Rhodes Robinson) during the annual UNF Alumni Recognition Awards. But what if we told you there was a third recipient...

Not able to make it to the ceremony, Anne Lufrano got quite the surprise as University of North Florida representatives Teresa Nichols and Ozzie the Osprey presented her with her award earlier this week.

Anne Lufrano is a UNF Foundation Board member and a retired psychologist who received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Queens College, CUNY, and her doctorate in child and family psychopathology from Cornell University.

"I would say that my husband and I both feel that where we are in our life is because of the education that we've had," Lufrano said. "So, we feel it's so important to level the playing field and to do whatever we can to allow other people to have these opportunities."

The Lufranos have done just that, helping many UNF students earn an education over the years. When the pandemic caused a financial crisis for many students, Anne and her husband, Dr. Robert Lufrano, a retired chairman and CEO of Florida Blue, made a generous matching gift to the Student Emergency Relief Fund. Students who had lost jobs and couldn't afford rent, groceries or tuition applied for assistance.

The Lufranos' response to help UNF students was one example of many. The couple has lent support to Parents Association Endowed Scholarships, First Generation Scholarships as well as scholarships through the Student Affairs Community Council and UNF School of Music. In 2009, they established the Lufrano Intercultural Gallery in the Student Union, which offers cultural and educational experiences for students, faculty and staff.

Anne's years of donating time and talent to the University are also inspiring. Not only does she currently serve on the UNF Foundation board, but she has also dedicated years of service to the Student Affairs Community Council, chaired fundraisers for various initiatives, helped start the parent program, served on the last presidential search committee, and more. She received the Presidential Medallion for Outstanding Service, the highest nonacademic recognition at UNF.